OVERVIEW
The Allegheny County Parks Foundation is working toward the goal of cleaning Pinkertons Run of abandoned mine pollution so that one day it can be stocked with native fishes and enjoyed for sport. Since 2014, ACPF has partnered with Trout Unlimited to study the environmental impact of pollution coming from old coal mines in the park and mitigate its effects. Biological data gathered over the course of many months has provided an overview of organisms living in the stream and helped gauge the outcome of a remediation strategy. In 2018, PA DEP made a Growing Greener Grant to ACPF to design and construct a passive treatment system for the worst discharge and design is underway. Since that time, other grants have been procured that will make this project a reality. This project also includes plans to stabilize the streambank along Pinkertons Run. See our conceptual plan.
PROJECT UPDATES
Our first phase of work cleaning up Pinkertons Run from Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) in Settlers Cabin Park is complete!
A treatment system has been created to capture the mine discharge by pipe and carry it to a 1,500-ton dolomitic limestone bed, which successfully raised the discharge from a 3.1 pH to 7 pH – think of that as turning orange juice into water suitable enough to host fish! 1,200 linear feet of the streambank has also successfully been stabilized using salvaged tree roots and logs from the AMD treatment system construction site. As we close out this project, we are hopeful that we can meet the goal of one day stocking Pinkertons Run with native fishes, such as trout, to be enjoyed for sport again.
PARTNERS
- Allegheny County
- Allegheny County Conservation District
- Trout Unlimited
FUNDING
The Allegheny County Parks Foundation raised the funds for this project. Funding was provided by:
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- Allegheny County
- Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
- Generous individuals